This is my second cusinart griddler. Both of them heat unevenly. Much hotter on outside than inside. In “smokeless “ position, food slides toward the center because of the tilt causing food to block drains and overflow on counter. Drip pan also has smaller capacity because of tilt. In the units defense, I use primarily to cook bacon for my large family which produces a lot of fat.  Electronic panel on new unit is more complex than the simple switches on the old one. Newer isn’t always better.